Connector for two piece handles



y 1957 M. HERMAN ET AL 2,7 ,74

CONNECTOR FOR TWO PIECE HANDLES Filed Oct. 5. 1955 INVENTORS Mos HERMANSAM HERMAN United States Patent CONNECTOR FOR TWO PIECE HANDLES .MoeHerman and Sam Herman, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application October 5, 1953,Serial No. 384,254

1 Claim. (Cl. 287-108) This invention relates to connecting devices and,more particularly, has reference to a device of the type stated that isespecially adapted for fixedly joining, in end to end, abuttingrelationship, adjacent sections of the handle of a mop, wax applier,broom, or the like.

It is one important object of the invention to permit manufacture of theconnector at a minimum of cost, from a single piece of inexpensive sheetmetal material, while still designing the same in a manner that willinsure a wholly tight, strong connection between the sections to bejoined.

A second object is to facilitate the manufacture and shipment of adevice such as a wax applier in separate pieces that can be compactlyhoused in a relatively small carton, with said connector to bepreferably secured, before sale of the device, to one of the handlepieces, and to be readily attached to the other handle piece with aminimum of effort.

Yet another object is to form one end of the connector with a taperedportion, that will taper in a direction away mm the other end thereof,said tapered portion to be so designed as to assume a constant diameter,cylindrical shape on extension of a handle piece thereinto, whilemaintaining a tight grip on said handle piece.

A further object is to provide, in association with said taperedportion, an opposite end portion having divergent wings adapted toembrace a second handle piece, said wings being bent into clampingengagement with the second handle piece to fixedly join the pieces toone another.

Still another object of importance is to effect a positive connectionbetween each wing and the second handle piece, through the medium ofinwardly struck, conically shaped, lugs adapted to bite into the secondhandle piece when the wings are bent into engagement therewith.

Other objects are to permit a connection to be made between adjacenthandle pieces without requirement of any tools other than a simple toolof the pliers type; to reinforce a connector with particulareffectiveness by a specially arranged series of outwardly struck ribs;and to facilitate the disconnection of the handle sections for storageor for other purposes.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a connector formed in accordancewith the invention, as it appears prior to attachment to the handlesections.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view taken from the line l -4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector andfragmentary portions of the handle sections to be joined thereby.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view in which the connector has been applied tothe handle sections.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a wax applier in which the handlesections have been joined by the connector.

The connector constituting the invention has been generally designatedat 10 in the several figures of the drawing, and is formed from a singlepiece of sheet material which initially may be in the shape of a flat,rectangular blank, thus allowing manufacture with a minimum wastage ofmetal, with the design allowing quantity production at low unit cost.

When the device is manufactured, it is shaped at one end with a taperedsleeve 12 split from end to end as at 14. The slit or open-endedcontinuous slot 14 of the sleeve 12 is itself tapered as shown toadvantage in Fig. l, with the side edges of the slit converging in thedirection of the smaller end of the sleeve. It should be noted at thispoint that the taper of the sleeve, and of the slit formed therein, hasbeen exaggerated in the several figures of the drawing for the purposeof clarity of under standing. in actuality, in a commercial embodimentof the invention, the taper of the sleeve, and of its associated slit,would be very slight, though distinctly a salient characteristic of theconstruction.

At its larger end, the sleeveis integral with a connecting portion orsaddle 16 cut away transversely of the sleeve so as to be ofsemicircular cross section.

Integral with the saddle 16 and constituting an extension thereof is aclamp member 18 of arcuate cross section merging at its opposite sidesinto fiat wings 20 diverging in a direction away from the clamp member.Wings 20 are provided, adjacent their free edges, with inwardly struck,conical lugs 22, each wing having two of said lugs in the illustratedexample. The number of the lugs of each wing may be varied, but it hasbeen found that two will suflice in assuring a strong connection betweenthe clamp member and the handle section received therein. In thepreferred, illustrated form of the invention, the lugs of each wing arearranged in a series extending parallel to the longitudinal center lineof the connector.

The connector, though fabricated of inexpensive sheet metal material, isof substantial strength, being formed with a specially arranged seriesof reinforcing ribs. The several ribs are struck outwardly from thematerial of the connector, and include a main rib 24 the ends of whichterminate adjacent the opposite ends of the device. Rib 24 is arrangedlongitudinally and centrally of the sleeve 12 and clamp member 18, andthat portion thereof extending along the sleeve intersects withauxiliary, transverse ribs 26. Two ribs 26 are provided, oneintersecting with the main rib intermediate the ends of the main rib andthe other being disposed at that end of the main rib that terminatesnear the smaller end of the sleeve.

Formed in the main rib, between the transverse ribs, is an aperture 28,through which a nail 29 or equivalent fastening element may be extendedwhen handle sections 30, 32 are to be joined through use of the device.

When the handle sections are joined, the smaller end of the sleeve,which has an inner diameter slightly less than that of the handlesection 32, is spread slightly to receive said section 32. To spread thesleeve, one can insert the bit of a screw driver or like tool in thesmaller end of the slit, to exert a prying action on the slit edgestending to shift the same away from each other. The handle section 32can now be extended into the sleeve, until its end registers with theinner end of the sleeve. The sleeve will now tend to spring back to itsoriginal tapered shape, but will be prevented from doing so by thePatented July 9, 1957 inserted handle section, The sleeve will thus becaused mass-amen constantdiametr, cylindrical shape as shown in Figs.6-and--7-,- but while ofcourse exerting. a strong grip on the insertedsection throughout the length of the sleeve, will be springablytensioned into particularly strong enga ement w'itlith' section atthe"outer, initially smaller end of the slee e? To insure against separationof the sleeve and handle section 32, a nail 29can be driven radiallyand'inwar'dly of the handle section, through aperture 28, at the option"of the user. Said 'nail' might be employed, for example, not foranylack of -a tight grip of the sleeve upon'the handle section, but toprovideapositive means for holding "the sleeve and; handle sectionagainst relative rotations, H

The sleeve can be preassembled-with section 3 2 during the manufa tureof aicleaiiing' device such as a wax ap-' plier of the type showniii'Fig'f 9, but this is not essential, and the ultimate purchaser caneffect the connection'fb'e tween'section 32 andfth'e sleeve. 1 l iAsa'next'step in connecting the handle sections, the user' positionssection 30' in the clamp member, in abuttingrelationto section 32.Wings20. are now bent inwardly toward one" another to 'the positionshown in Fig 6, a pliers or like toolbeing used. This causes the lugs 22tobite into the wooden handle section, as shown and the resulting handlecan be usedon a wax applier in Fig; 8.

The device thus serves to fixedly connect the sections (Fig. 9) or anyother implement, such as a broom, mop, etc.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of ourinvention, it is to be understood that we do no limit ourselves to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined-in the appended claim,

Having thus, describedour. inyention, what, we claim as new, and desireto secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A device for connecting handle sections in end to end relationshipcomprising a tubular body slotted from end to end, one end portion ofsaid body being tapered and circular in cross section for encircling andgripping one of the handle sections, the other end portion of the bodybeing semicircular and merging into lateral wing portions, saidsemicircular portion being adapted to, encircle the other handlesection, a saddle portion connecting said end portions, lugs carried, onthe inner. surface of the wing portions adjacent, the free edges thereotfor, permanently attaching the wing portions tosaid other handlesection, and longitudinal and transverse reinforcing ribs on the tubularbody opposite the slot therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS367,584, Bartliffi Aug. 2, 1.887.-v 408,33 6 Breed Aug. 6, 1889 488,343Baldwin Dec. 20, 1892;. 505,252 Phillips Sept. 19, 1893 55,64 9 SmithMar. 17, 1896 1,073,828 Wallin Sept. 23 1913, 1,194,894 Standefer Aug.15, 1916 1,248,328 Hoffman Nov. 27, 1917 1,377,101 Sparling May 3, 19211,972,653 Hart Sept. 4-, 1934 2,071,270 Dellinger Feb. 16, 19372,120,243 Droll June 14, 1938- FOREIGN PATENTS 5,585 Great. Britain Jan.19, 1895 585,806 Germany Otc. 9, 1933

